Dear Healthy Friend,

There are so many risks in the world today. The risk of having an accident, the risk of the rand plummeting and losing an investment, the risk of swine flu, the risks associated with any surgery... It's no wonder we're all such worrywarts. The last thing anyone wants to do is increase their risks... of any sort!

But new research reveals an increase of risk... in the development of diabetes. See what Jenny Thompsons has to say about this research below...

In the name of good health,

Taryn Strugnell
Managing Editor of Nutrition & Healing

P.S. Dr Wright advocates getting enough vitamin D naturally through sunshine... but what happens if you have skin cancer and your doctor's warned you against exposure? Keep reading to see what Dr Wright recommends...

These drugs could increase your risk of diabetes
Jenny Thompson
Publisher, Health Sciences Institute

Recently Reuters Health and HealthDay News ran nearly identical lead paragraphs in their reporting about a new study of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs.

The finding: Statin use increases risk of developing type II diabetes. And along with that message, of course, they had to report that this risk is really a very small thing, hardly worth mentioning in light of the magnificence of the life-saving properties of the wonder drug... the Great Statin.

It's as if they're delivering bad news to a grouchy king who LOVES statins and is likely to have a lowly reporter beheaded if he even suggests that the adored heart drug is less than perfect.

Here's the Reuters headline: "Cholesterol Drugs Raise Diabetes Risk, Just a Bit."

Do they have any idea how hilarious that is? Can you imagine: A Reuters reporter holding his thumb and forefinger really close together, up near his eyeball and squinting when he says in a high squeaky voice, "Just a bit."

Just a teeny weenie bit, Your Highness.

HealthDay went one better, adding this quote from a news release about the study: "In view of the overwhelming benefit of statins for reduction of cardiovascular events..."

Yes, the benefits are OVERWHELMING! Why, a reporter might swoon under a spell of the vapours just thinking about the wonderfully overwhelming benefits of statins.

So? Are you ready to be overwhelmed?

University of Glasgow researchers examined the results of 13 large statin trials that included more than 91,000 subjects.

Results showed that for every 255 patients treated with statins for four years, one would develop type II diabetes.

Well that doesn't sound so bad. Just one little old diabetic for every 255 statin users? Since the benefits are grossly exaggerated (I'm sorry...I meant to say "overwhelming") what difference do a few extra diabetics make?

A huge difference.

Millions of people use statins worldwide. So, you do the math... one case of type II diabetes for every 255 patients could develop or already have developed diabetes as a statin side effect. (You can forget about the "four years" business because statin users are users-for-life.)

But if you're convinced statins are life-saving wonder drugs, then I guess thousands upon thousands of cases of diabetes are acceptable. Not to mention the untold cases of muscle damage, kidney damage, liver damage and cognition damage.

One of the Glasgow researchers told Reuters Health that the results of their study should put a stop to statin overuse and the drug will be given "when appropriate for the right reasons".

Aw, that's adorable! He must have missed the news that the FDA recently OK'd the use of a statin used for cholesterol for people who don't have high cholesterol. And that approval came in spite of the study that showed a link to - you guessed it - increased risk of type II diabetes.

The world of statins is a world gone mad (and not just a bit!).

The right vitamin to keep skin cancer at bay

Q: I'm a long-time Health Bytes reader and I've got the message on vitamin D loud and clear. I know I should be getting plenty of sunshine, but I've had skin cancer in the past. My doctor has warned me that going out in the sun without sunscreen will make it return. Is there anything I can do to prevent that from happening?

Dr. Wright: Skin cancer is actually relatively common, but it's not the killer the media makes it out to be. In fact, it's usually found and treated early and is rarely fatal - or even serious. The problem is that, for many people, skin cancer keeps coming back even after they've been treated for one case. But recurrent skin cancer doesn't have to be a fact of life. The answer is often as simple as using retinoic acid, which could significantly decrease skin cancer recurrences or stop them altogether.

Retinoic acid is a form of vitamin A that is naturally present in the skin in very small quantities. It works by delivering a message to the DNA in the nucleus of skin cells, telling them to divide normally and not to "go cancerous". Sun exposure makes this "message delivery" much less effective, which can allow skin cancer to occur. But, as you read previously, we all need sun exposure in order to get enough vitamin D, which is a critical aspect of a huge list of body functions.

This is where supplemental retinoic acid steps in: It aids in delivering messages to the DNA that tell it to divide normally.

Retinoic acid obviously isn't the only factor in skin cancer prevention, but it's an important one that those people who have had recurring cases of skin cancer can use to reduce your risk or prevent it altogether.

Retinoic acid is sold as the same cream that teenagers use against acne and is available by prescription only. (As a bonus, it could be helped to remove wrinkles too!)